


Victory isn't all it's cut out for

by heilige_bos



Category: Cucumber Quest
Genre: Almond just loves her brother, Cucumber has a really strong moral compass, Gen, Peridot isn't going to lose easily, The Dream Oracle is ruthless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:21:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25709644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heilige_bos/pseuds/heilige_bos
Summary: Deep down, she knew it was coming. There were Legendary Heroes for a reason, after all. She's just always managed to keep the thought of losing out of her mind.Until the day itself arrives, that is.With her life ruined, Peridot has nowhere else to go. Nothing to call her own...except a very particular Disaster Stone. Get them all, bring him back. It's a race against time, fate, and against The Legendary Heroes.Can she make it?
Relationships: Nightmare Knight & Peridot (Cucumber Quest), Peridot & Cordelia (Cucumber Quest), Peridot & Cucumber (Cucumber Quest)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Victory isn't all it's cut out for

**Author's Note:**

> This was, initially, just a oneshot. Then a found this one song that /really/ suited this particular fit. The more I listened, the more I got inspired, and then BANG! It's a full fledged fic.
> 
> In which The Heroes win.

“They’ve won.”

Peridot blinked, eyes wide. “What?”

Cordelia placed an arm along the wall, leaning heavily against it. Her eyes were tired, bloodshot, and filled with fear.

“They’ve won,” Cordelia croaked. “Quick Peridot, you need to run.”

“Wh-” The Young Witch could only stare, her feet glued to the floor. Her heart seemed to have stopped beating, for the moment.

“Quick.” Cordelia thrust something small and round in her hands, the desperation clear in her gaze and in her voice. “They’ll come for me, _run_.”

Yelling came from behind The Queen; a shadow of a sword dancing along the hallway wall.

Cordelia shoved her away. “Run,” she said again, pleading. Then, harsher. “Run!”

Peridot took a step back, then another. Then she whipped around and ran.

There was more yelling and screaming, crashing and sounds of conflict coming from behind her. Peridot nearly looked back, before she shook herself. As fast as her legs could carry her, she ran to her room.

Peridot slammed the door open, then leaned against it as it closed, her breathing harsh and irregular. At the foot of her bed, her wand lay propped up just where she left it - waiting obediently.

There was more yelling behind her - closer - and Peridot launched herself at the wand. She whipped around with a spell in her hand and, squeezing her eyes tight, threw the spell onto the floor.

With soft cracking sounds, the floor turned into peridot, large spikes protruding upwards. The doorknob turned, but stopped – the peridot having blocking the door from swinging open. The wood gave a bang - once, twice, a third time - as what stood on the other side pushed against it.

The Young Witch could feel the timer in her head ticking - _quick quick_ , it said, _you don’t want to be here when they come in_.

She turned, shoulders rising with each choked breath. There - a window, an exit away from here. She ran towards it, poking out nearly half of her body out, and gaped at the sheer drop from her window to the ground.

The door banged again - harsher, with more force. Peridot could _see_ the hinges strain, the wood crack - could hear the timer in her head ticking faster.

She stifled a whimper of fear, of frustration, and turned back to the window. The Young Witch summoned another spell, slamming it onto the outside wall.

From there, peridot formed on top of themselves, sloping down into some sort of...slide. She gaped at it still, her breathing quickening.

Then, the door blasted open.

Peridot couldn’t bring herself to look back. Squeezing her eyes tight, she leapt over the windowsill.

There was more yelling behind her as The Young Witch slid down the slide of her own making, a scream choked back in her throat. She stumbled up to her feet as she reached the end, running across the Castle lawn.

Slowly, the yelling behind her subsided. Peridot didn’t stop though – she kept her pace, pushing through bushes and branches, stumbling through cobblestone-paved streets, pushing through crowds and crowds of cheering people.

Finally, her legs gave out beneath her. Peridot tumbled to the ground, an item rolling out of her hand. The thing Cordelia gave her, she realised. She’d been holding to it tight.

Peridot pushed herself upwards slightly, then froze. Standing a few paces ahead of her - having rolled out of her grasp - a familiar Disaster Stone stared back at her.

The Young Witch - with shaking hands - held the Disaster Stone to her face. She could see her own tear-stained and messy reflection in its purple depths.

Peridot stared at The Nightmare Knight’s Disaster Stone and, being unable to fight off the tears any longer, sobbed.

* * *

_This again._

_How many times had it been? This would be the 100th, wouldn’t it? 100 times of being stuck in this._

_This stone, this cycle, this role. He was bored - no, he was **tired**. He was disappointed._

_The first time, he raged against his container like no other. The second, he could only be still._

_Watching the world move around him had worn off the first few times - after all, it was usually dark wherever Protector ‘hid’ him, and the few times he **could** watch life pass by would usually make him inherently moody afterwards._

_But this time...there was something else._

_Not a sight, but more of...a sound. Crying - from a child._

_Then, there was a feeling. An urge to protect, to cradle the child and shield it from all and any harm. A...familiar urge, though he could not recognise the voice of the cries._

_It didn’t bode well with him, that fact. Something...something told him he should know. Should be able to instantly recognise exactly **who** -_

_Supposed, he **could** check on the outside world. Just- just in case._

* * *

Peridot knelt there for a good few hours, wiping her tears, bursting into newer ones, then wiping them again.

When she finally felt the end of her reservoir, the Young Witch sniffled, staring up at the starry night sky – yet not quite seeing it. She slowly rose to her feet, one hand gripping the shaft of her wand, the other curled tightly around the Disaster Stone.

Where does she go from here?

Peridot breathed out a sharp exhale just as a twig snapped behind her.

Instantly, The Young Witch whipped around. She shoved the Disaster Stone into her pockets, summoning a spell with her now free hand.

There was a rustle, and a silhouette in the dark that was too indiscernible for Peridot to see. Another rustle, then The Legendary Hero stepped out of the dark.

He didn’t look surprised to see her there, almost as if he knew where she was – as if he’d been following her.

Peridot tensed, raising her spell high above her head.

“Wait!” The Hero raised his arms up – a gesture of surrender. “Wait, please. I’m- I’m not going to hurt you.”

Peridot could only stare at him, eyes narrowed. “Psh, how dumb do you think I am to believe that?”

“Just-“ The Hero breathed in a shuddering breath. “Give me a moment, please.”

Peridot narrowed her eyes, lifting her spell up higher as The Hero rummaged in his backpack.

He froze, a palm raised placatingly in her direction. Slowly, his eyes wide, The Hero took out another Disaster Stone.

Peridot blinked, staring down at it. This one was blue, with a wave in its centre.

“Here,” The Hero breathed out. He lowered himself to the ground – a palm still held out – and rolled the Disaster Stone over to her.

Splashmaster’s stone rolled until it bumped into the toes of her shoes, then stilled.

Peridot blinked down at it once – twice – then flicked her gaze back up to The Hero.

He’d lifted himself up to his feet again, but refrained from meeting her gaze. Instead, he stared at the dirt between them, both arms raised above his head.

“He was going to offer me peace,” The Hero murmured. He lifted his gaze up to her own slowly, their depths filled with an emotion she couldn’t name. “My sister, she- she didn’t believe me.”

_Almond._

Peridot blinked.

Hesitantly, The Hero nodded at The Disaster Stone by her feet. “You get them all, you can bring him back, right?”

Peridot glanced back to Splashmaster’s stone, slowly lowering her spell. Though, still refraining from returning it back to her wand, The Young Witch glared at The Hero.

“Obviously,” she said. “That’s how it works.”

He nodded slowly, then picked up speed. “Yes! Yes, The Oracle hasn’t hid them yet – she still wants to gather them all first.”

Peridot breathed in a shuddering breath. If The Oracle managed to hide them all, it’ll be weeks before she finds them again. Who knows- who knows what’ll happen to her before then.

“How many does she have?” Peridot prodded.

The Hero frowned softly, gaze dropping in thought. “Uh...I think…five. Rosemaster’s is with the Roselings. Splashmaster’s is….there. And we couldn’t find The Nightmare Knight’s stone.”

Peridot just about stopped her hand from straying to her pockets. “Huh.”

“Yeah, The Oracle’s going on about an ‘extra credit’ quest,” The Hero mumbled. “Wants us to find the other Disaster Stones.”

“Well, you had that one.” Peridot nodded to Splashmaster’s stone, still by her feet. “Why didn’t you give it to her?”

The Hero glanced away, frown deepening. His arms – still held above his head – shifted, making Peridot wonder if he had gotten sore. She wasn’t about to ask him to drop them though.

“I don’t…trust her,” he mumbled out at last. “She doesn’t act like she wants what’s ‘Good for Dreamside’.”

She scoffed. “Figured out that yourself?”

The Hero grimaced, awkwardly nodding his head. “Yeah. I want to help you bring him back.”

The Young Witch blinked.

“…What?” Peridot was shocked still. “Why? And what’s stopping me from grabbing Splashmaster’s stone and getting out of here?”

The Hero winced. “I…really hope you won’t do that.”

“Well it’s starting to look really tempting.”

“Wait!” The Hero cried out. “You _need_ me. To- to get the Roselings to give back Rosemaster’s stone.”

“Psh,” Peridot rolled her eyes. “I can just take it from them.”

“They’ll have it closely guarded,” The Hero argued. “It’s their _most_ prized possession.”

Peridot shifted her feet, giving The Hero an obvious look-over. “What? I need _you_ to help me steal back Rosemaster’s stone?”

“Steal?” The Hero echoed. “Wh-No! If you let me come with you, I can _persuade_ the Roselings to give it to me.”

“Oh really,” she raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”

“Well, I-I was the one who gave it to them.”

“You…” Peridot blinked again. “Did?"

The Hero nodded slowly, shifting his arms again. “So uh,” he flicked his gaze upwards, a hesitant smile on his face. “It’s a deal?”

Peridot hesitated, taking in the offer.

Then she fully returned the spell back into her wand.

The Hero breathed out a sigh of relief as he dropped his arms down – either glad at finally being able to move from the same position, or glad he wasn’t about to turn into peridot.

She bent down, picking up Splashmaster’s stone, and shoving it into her pocket. As she did, her fingers brushed with The Knight’s stone – and was filled with a sense of calm.

She glanced back over to The Hero. ”Cucumber, right?”

Cucumber met her gaze, that hesitant smile still on his face. “Yeah. Peridot?”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s fix my sister’s mistakes.”

* * *

_Legendary Hero._

_When he’d first laid his gaze on the child, coming out of the bushes with his arms raised up, he expected himself to tense. But as The Hero rolled over Splashmaster’s stone, he couldn’t help the rush of pride._

_For the **hero**._

_He knew, **he** should be the furthest away from trusting someone new – much less a Legendary Hero, who looked so similar to his ancestors it nearly hurt. Yet he couldn’t help but feel relieved that this…child is here._

_To keep company the other child. The Crying one._

_He can feel himself getting tired – he was terribly weak in this stone. Even the simple action of **watching** can make him feel drained. Most cycles, he’d let the slumber overtake him – until such time as he was resurrected, yet again._

_This was new, though. This was important. He felt like he should be as alert as he could, for as long as he could._

_If only to keep an eye on the Crying Child._

* * *

“Come on, Legendary Nerd,” she said, clambering atop her wand. “Let’s go.”

Standing a few paces away from her, Cucumber eyed her mode of transportation with wariness. “Is this uh- how you got from one kingdom to another?”

She turned to give him a raised eyebrow. “You mean, do I cross oceans just using my wand?”

He winced. “Right, right. Stupid.”

After a bit more shifting of feet and furrowed-eyebrow glances, Cucumber finally made his way over. He climbed the back of her wand – the tool dipping down slightly beneath their combined weights.

Peridot glanced to the ground. “Y’know,” she said, “you weren’t stupid.”

“Wh-“

“Hold on tight!” she grinned and the wand shot forward.

Behind her, she could feel The Legendary Hero choke in a yelp, gripping onto the shaft. The wand sped onwards, the wind buffeting against her hat.

The grin still stuck on her face, Peridot raised a hand to press her hat against her head – while using the other to steer the wand over fields, roads and, finally, onto water.

For the first few moments, they travelled in silence. Cucumber didn’t seem as terrified as he was earlier – or he’d just tired himself out. He gripped the shaft with both hands, watching the sun slowly rise above the horizon, the water reflecting its light with a shimmer.

After ensuring that her hat wasn’t about to fly off her head, Peridot lowered her hand. She was confident that she could – in fact – steer with one hand, so she shoved her now free hand into her pocket.

Her fingers brushed against one Disaster stone, then the other. Somehow, she knew instantly which one was The Knight’s – and quickly wrapped her fingers around it, gripping tightly.

She felt like she should tell Cucumber she had The Knight’s stone.

What? No she didn’t. She didn’t trust him – he was a **Legendary** **Hero** for sakes! The moment she got Rosemaster’s stone, she was going to leave him there in the Flower Kingdom.

No, she shouldn’t do that. That’s not right.

But what’s stopping him from doing the same with her? At least he doesn’t know she had The Knight’s stone – so that even if he did run off, she’d still have _that_.

But Cucumber wouldn’t do that, surely. She could trust him.

“Is everything okay?”

Peridot jumped, her hand slipping out of her pockets. She half-turned, eyeing how Cucumber frowned at her.

“You were frowning really deeply.” He shifted slightly, then tensed, gripping the wand tighter.

Peridot watched him, eyebrow raised. She scoffed, glancing away. “My life as I knew it is over,” she muttered. “That good enough for you?”

Cucumber stared back at her for a few moments, then glanced away. His grip tightened around the wand – such that his knuckles turned white – and Peridot didn’t think it was because he was losing his balance.

At least, not at first.

She’d travelled forward a good few distances before realizing that her wand felt lighter than before. Peridot glanced back, then skidded to a stop – her eyes wide at the empty space behind her.

Then, a few distances away, the small shape of a head bobbing in the water. From here, she could barely hear his cries – she didn’t think he’d noticed her stopping.

She could leave.

The Flower Kingdom was a few minutes away, she was far enough to play it off as _‘I couldn’t find you’_. She could fly off, right now. Hadn’t he survived battle with seven Disaster Masters before?

He would be fine.

Yet, even as she thought about it, Peridot couldn’t bring herself to just _leave_. She hovered there for a while, eyebrows furrowed.

Finally, internally cursing at herself, she turned around and flew back.

Cucumber was desperately trying to keep his head above the water – orange hair soaked and dripping. As she got closer, he turned in her direction. The water rippled as he tried to keep himself afloat, clear relief in his gaze as she flew closer.

Peridot lowered a hand and he reached up, gripping tight. With a grimace from both sides, she pulled him back up.

Cucumber hunched over, jaw dropped and panting. Peridot eyed him cautiously.

“You good?”

He waved her off, still panting. Cucumber shivered once, looking like he wanted to rub at his shoulders – yet not taking his hands off the shaft of the wand.

“How long to the F-flower Kingdom?” he croaked.

“Few minutes,” she said. “You sure you can take it?”

He nodded slowly, shivering still. “I can dry-dry myself off when we g-get there.”

Peridot narrowed her eyes just slightly, scrutinizing him. Cucumber still shivered, staring at the water beneath them – a death grip on her wand.

She sighed softly. “Alright. We’re almost there.”

For the last stretch of the journey, they were silent. If Cucumber had noticed the much slower pace she kept this time, he made no sign of it.

Peridot slipped a hand into her pocket once more, gripping tightly onto The Knight’s stone – and feeling an insurmountable wave of warmth that filled her from her toes to the top of her head.

Making sure to keep herself facing forward, she smiled.

* * *

_Rosemaster._

_He could feel her stone steadily growing closer. Could feel their proximity with one another. He couldn’t help himself from being excited – this would be the fastest record time he was resurrected._

_Splashmaster’s stone bumped into his container at times and he relished in the short bursts of warmth it gave. Every time the stones clinked, there was a jolt of energy rippling through him – aiding his newfound mission of keeping an eye of the children._

_The Crying Child was strong – stronger than he’d expect of any child. He couldn’t help but be…so very proud of her._

_He hoped she’d be alright._

* * *

Finally, the Flower Kingdom rose up in the horizon. Their mingled sighs of relief echoed with one another.

Peridot picked up pace slightly, only skidding to a halt once they were properly on dry land. A pebbly bay stretched on for a few paces, flanked on either side by sheer, rocky cliffs.

Cucumber wasted no time in getting off. He staggered a few paces off, half of his arm submerged in his backpack as he rummaged through its contents.

She eyed him out of the corner of her eye, readjusting her hat on her head.

Cucumber lifted his own wand out of the bag, lifting it high above his head. The wand glowed a soft, red colour – sending a wave of gentle heat that reached her even through the distance.

Apparently satisfied, he hefted his wand in his hand and turned around. Peridot watched as Cucumber made his way back over to her.

He offered that small, hesitant smile again – one hand brushing the hem of his now dry clothes.

“Thanks for coming to get me, by the way,” he said, one hand awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

Peridot blinked, her eyes widening fractionally. After a while, she glanced away, scoffing. “Yea yeah, sure.”

Through her peripheral vision, she saw Cucumber sport a wider, less hesitant smile.

Rolling her eyes both internally and externally, she glanced back. “So?”

He blinked. “…so?”

Peridot narrowed her eyes, pointedly jerking her head to the line of trees further inland.

Cucumber followed her motion with wide eyes, his features shuffling into an ‘oh’ face. He winced, then chuckled. 

“Right, right.” Cucumber shifted his feet once, glanced over to her, glanced down to the ground, and – after a few seconds – readjusted his backpack and walked to the tree line.

She sighed, slipping her hand back into her pockets and – now by default – holding on tightly onto The Knight’s stone.

That feeling of warmth filled her once more, and with the ghost of a smile on her lips, Peridot trod on after The Hero.

* * *

They’d trekked through the forest for a whole hour – Peridot occasionally taking trips on her wand, Cucumber without a single complaint uttered. Finally, after the first hour had passed, Peridot could go no further.

“Wait,” she gasped out, leaning against a tall and twisted tree. “Wait. Hold-hold on.”

A few paces ahead of her, Cucumber turned. His eyebrows furrowed in concern, The Legendary Hero turned around and walked back.

Peridot gritted her teeth, feeling light-headed and like she was about to vomit. She squeezed her eyes closed, breathing out a forced exhale.

She felt a hand on her shoulder first, then heard the sharp inhale. “Hey, are you okay?”

Peridot swallowed painfully, nodding. “Give me- give me a second,” she mumbled.

For a moment, Cucumber said nothing. Then Peridot felt a soft tug on her sleeves, downwards.

“Come on, you can sit down,” Cucumber assured her, giving another tug. “We have time.”

Peridot hesitated at first, her eyes still squeezed shut. Then, she couldn’t take it anymore. The Young Witch flopped down on the slightly damp earth, leaning back against the twisted tree.

There were sounds of rummaging before a…scent wafted to her nose. Something sweet. Almost instantly, her mouth watered and her stomach grumbled.

Peridot opened her eyes, staring wide-eyed at the banana bread offered to her.

Cucumber jerked it gently to her direction. “Here.”

Peridot didn’t need to be told twice. She grabbed the banana bread from his hand, unwrapping the clear plastic. In a flash, she shoved one bite – then two, three.

It was only after she’d eaten most of the bread did she think to watch Cucumber’s reaction. The Hero frowned softly at her, eyes tilted downward ever so slightly.

Peridot slowed down her chewing, glancing away. She swallowed. “…thanks.”

Cucumber jumped slightly, staring at her as if he were only just seeing her. He nodded, offering that smile again. “Yeah, it’s alright.”

Peridot took another bite out of the bread, albeit this time much, much slower.

“Did you…eat anything at all..recently?”

She glanced up at the question, eyebrows furrowing slightly. Her mind traced back to yesterday’s-

She swallowed then glanced away. “He said he was going to cook up something for dinner,” she muttered, her voice soft.

Cucumber leaned forward slightly, frowning as he chewed onto the words. Suddenly, he flinched, a pained expression flitting across his face.

Peridot took out another bite, taking much-needed comfort in the way it filled up her stomach.

She eyed The Hero’s shifting feet, then blinked as he plopped down onto the damp earth across from her. He crossed his legs, readjusting his backpack so that it lay across his lap.

“Would you…be uncomfortable if I asked you some questions?”

Peridot raised an eyebrow. “I feel like I’m about to be interrogated.”

Hurriedly, he waved his hands at her defensively. “No no! It’s...it’s really not. I’m just...curious.”

She sighed, dropping the now-empty plastic onto the ground. “Fine. Make it quick, we still have stuff to do.”

Cucumber smiled again – that wider, less hesitant smile joined by a pair of gleaming eyes.

“How..close were you two?”

Peridot frowned. “You mean, me and The Nightmare Knight?”

Cucumber nodded.

Peridot glanced away, fingers picking at the fabric of her pants. “Fairly, I guess. I caught him baking cookies one night and it all just…went on from there.”

The Hero blinked once. Then he blinked again. “Sorry,” he said, “cookies?”

Peridot raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

The conversation dipped into a rather awkward silence, before Cucumber cleared his throat.

“Okay, next quest-“

“Woah woah, hold up.” She leaned forward slightly, a grin playing at the edges of her lips. “Why not I ask a question for every question _you_ ask? That’s fair, right?”

Cucumber stared back at her, eyes narrowing just slightly. Finally, slowly, he nodded. “That’s..okay, fine.”

Peridot blinked. “Wait, actually?”

“Uh..yeah? It is..fair,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand.

Peridot blinked again, then leaned back. Silently musing on her question.

“You don’t sound like you like what your sister did.”

Cucumber glanced away. “Well…like I said, he was about to offer me peace. Almond…didn’t believe me. And…”

He trailed off and Peridot tilted her head. “And?” she prodded.

Cucumber frowned deeply, still refraining from meeting her gaze. “When we confronted him, last night. He didn’t seem to really…fight back?”

The Hero breathed out a sharp breath. “It just- it didn’t _feel_ like a battle! It felt like an…execution.”

_Execution._

The word rang through Peridot’s head. She was fiercely aware of the feel of The Disaster Stones in her pockets, pressing against her thigh through the fabric of her pants.

For a moment, they both were enveloped in silence – Cucumber occasionally glancing over to her with a soft, worried gaze.

Peridot stared at the ground, eyeing the mulch.

“Ah, hey.”

She blinked, glancing back up to The Hero. Cucumber had risen to his feet, brushing the stray damp dirt flecks from his sweater.

He hesitated slightly, then offered a hand.

“Come on, we’re close.” There, that smile again. “Let’s…bring him back.”

Peridot stared up at him, then slightly downwards – at his outstretched hand.

With a huff and a roll of the eyes – a slightly _less_ testy roll of the eyes, though – she accepted the help.

* * *

_Something’s wrong._

_Something’s very, very wrong._

_He can’t…place it, exactly. It’s an uneasy, tense feeling. A shadow at the very edge of your vision that disappears the moment you turn to look at it._

_Please, please, let the children be._

_They’ve done **nothing** to deserve anything that had came from them – even more so what’s about to come._

_…something’s coming._

* * *

They trekked onwards for a long time – long enough that she’d lost track of how long they’d been walking. The bottom of her pants was caked in mud and she felt sticky with sweat.

All the while, she eyed The Hero’s back. Watched the way he trekked onwards, mostly in silence. There were a few grunts, a few hums – sometimes, he’d even turn back to her, as if making sure she was still following.

Granted, even if she didn’t want to, she didn’t have a choice. They’d walked so far into the trees now, she doubted she’d be able to find her way back on her own.

Which means she had no choice but to follow him.

Which means he could easily trick her into walking into a trap-

Peridot shook her head harshly, trying to also shake off the crowding thoughts. She reached into her pockets, grabbing hold of The Knight’s Disaster Stone – and action she’d made a habit of whenever her nerves began to get at her.

There was no rush of warmth, no feeling of calm. Peridot froze with the chill that ran down her spine, staring around at the trees – at the shadows.

“What’s up?”

She flinched, whipping her head back to stare at The Hero – who had trekked up an incline and was now staring down at her with furrowed eyebrows.

“It’s-“ she stopped herself, still feverently glancing at the trees. “It’s nothing.”

Cucumber frowned, clearly not believing her. He glanced around the trees, eyes narrowing.

Without another word, he clambered down the incline and over to her. Peridot took a half-step back, nearly slipping on the wet mulch.

Cucumber glanced around, then lowered his voice. “I think someone’s following us too.”

She stared at him, eyes wide.

“Well, you’ve finally noticed.”

The two whipped around. Peridot snatched her hand out of her pocket, using it instead to summon a spell from her wand. Standing beside her, dropped into a defensive crouch, Cucumber brandished his wand.

Standing a few paces across from them was Almond and The Dream Oracle.

Almond frowned, glancing between her and Cucumber. “Cuco? What’re you doing?”

Peridot eyed her unsheathed sword – The Dreamsword – cautiously.

Cucumber breathed in a sharp breath. “Almond.”

“And I’m the Dream Oracle,” The Oracle scoffed. “Now, explain, Hero. What’re you doing with…this?”

At the word ‘this’, The Oracle gestured to Peridot with a flaunt of her weird eyeball-stick – a wand, probably.

Peridot narrowed her eyes. “Rude much?”

“Please, I don’t waste my pleasantries on someone like you,” The Oracle sneered. “You’re here to steal Rosemaster’s stone, I presume.”

“Almond, wait,” Cucumber interrupted. His eyes were wide and pleading as they landed on his sister. “Please, there has to be a better way than just going along with the cycle. I thought you-“

“We _tried_ , Cuco,” Almond cut in the middle of her brother’s sentence, her voice tight. “We found _nothing_. The Oracle agreed to try and find a way only if we went through with the cycle! Cuco you _know_ that. You were there!”

“What if we’re wrong?” Cucumber spread his arms out. “The Nightmare Knight wanted to offer me _peace_ , Almond.”

“Oh this again-“

“Enough of this,” The Dream Oracle sighed exaggeratedly. “This is getting boring. Camembert, just be like a good-little hero and come back over to the ‘good’ side. We’ll… _talk_ about this later.”

Cucumber didn’t respond to that, initially. Then, staring straight at all three of the Oracle’s eyes, he took a step closer to Peridot’s side.

Peridot glanced to him out of the corner of her eye, meeting his gaze that way.

“Can you trust me?” he asked.

Peridot paused. Then, slowly, she nodded. “I can.”

The Dream Oracle sighed again. “I was wrong. You _are_ the most vexing Hero I’ve had to work with.”

Peridot tensed as The Oracle lifted up her wand, prepared to counter with a spell of her own. She raised up her arm – spell suspended in her palm – but froze as Cucumber turned to face her.

The Hero grabbed her shoulders. “The Knight’s stone,” he hissed in a volume just loud enough for her to hear. “I know you have it. Give it to me, quickly.”

Peridot gaped at him, her jaw hanging.

How did he-

Just over The Hero’s shoulder, she could see Almond take a step towards them. Quickly, she fished out The Knight’s Disaster Stone from her pocket, pressing it onto Cucumber’s palm.

In a flash, Cucumber took his wand and slammed The Disaster Stone right in the middle of it.

Almond paused, her eyes wide as the wand shone a bright, dark purple light. Hovering beside her, The Dream Oracle gasped.

“What have you-!”

Cucumber whipped around and lifted his wand up above his head – The Nightmare Knight’s Disaster Stone whizzed loudly in place, before snapping to a stand-still.

With his teeth gritted, Cucumber swung his wand. Large cracks broke out on the floor, a vicious shaking nearly throwing Peridot off her feet.

As it was, she could barely keep her balance as the cracks grew larger – and only larger – creating a large rift in between the two sides.

Almond had quickly stepped back, arms raised above her head – her eyes wide as she stared at the gaping void beneath those cracks.

Peridot was frozen still, gaping.

“Peridot!”

She turned to the direction of the voice – Cucumber, who still brandished his now-purple wand with fervour, an added pressure to the atmosphere.

The Hero took a step back, then another, then turned and raced to her. Peridot widened her eyes as he barreled over to her and raised the wand.

Then, with an achingly familiar puff of star-speckled smoke, they disappeared.

* * *

**_~~ W-wHat’s haPpEnNIng-!!!! ~~ _ **

* * *

Peridot hurtled – face-first – onto grassy ground. At the last second, she lifted her arms up to her face, shielding it from most of gravity’s blow.

As it was, her head still spun. Dull pain wracked through her, starting from the elbows and stretching all the way to her shoulders.

Peridot laid there for a while, dazed. Then, she snapped to attention. The Young Witch shoved a hand into her pocket, breathing out a sigh of relief as her fingers brushed against one Disaster Stone, then the oth-

She frowned, quickly shifting upwards onto a sit. Where’s-

Oh.

Kneeling a few paces away from her, Cucumber had his hands cupped on his lap. Peridot – wincing slightly – rose to her feet and staggered onto him.

What she saw made her freeze and gape.

Cucumber turned in place, tilting his head back to stare, his gaze desperate and imploring. “I didn’t know,” he breathed out, haggardly. “I-I thought…I’ve used the others and they were just _fine_! I didn’t know-“

In his hands, The Knight’s Disaster Stone lay – sporting a new, large crack running through its centre.

Peridot stared at it wordlessly, slowly lowering herself to her knees. Cucumber’s babbling had fallen into silence and he stared – wide-eyed – at her.

She cupped her hands and held them out. Cucumber, without a word of protest, dropped The Knight’s stone into her hands.

Peridot lifted her hands up closer to her face, staring into The Disaster Stone’s purple depths. It still had its glow – thankfully – and stars still decorated its surface. She tilted the stone around, her heart wrenching in her chest and she eyed the deep crack in its surface.

Sighing, she dropped her hands onto her lap and glanced up to The Hero.

Cucumber was a nervous wreck – wringing his hands and picking at the hem of his sweater, twisting it into weird distorted shapes. He didn’t meet her gaze, instead staring wide-eyed at the ground before her.

She stared at him for a while, then glanced away, clearing her throat. “How did you know I had The Nightmare Knight’s Disaster Stone?”

“I saw you holding it back at The Doughnut Kingdom,” he mumbled. He glanced up at her, then quickly away – as if…as if fearing her wrath.

Whether or not it was coming, she hasn’t decided yet.

“You used other Disaster Stones like that before?” she asked.

Cucumber winced, his mouth twisting and contorting downwards. “…yeah. Early on the quest. I stopped after we defeated Rosemaster though and just…tried to manage with my own magic.”

She tilted her head. “Why? Wouldn’t using their powers be…I dunno, more efficient?”

“Well, I- it just didn’t feel _right_ , somehow.” The Hero shook his head. “I’d only use them when we _really_ needed to, and even then I’d feel terrible afterwards.”

“Bet you feel really bad now,” she mumbled, only half aware of the words coming out of her mouth.

Cucumber flinched harshly.

Peridot blinked, then sighed. “No, wait. I didn’t…mean it like that, I’m sorry.”

The Hero blinked once, twice, then glanced over to her with wide eyes – as if somehow realizing how rare it was to have gotten an apology from her.

Peridot scoffed softly at the thought. That was something The Nightmare Knight had said; **‘It’s horrid trying to gain an apology from you, Peridot.’** He’d always follow it up with an offer to help him bake or taste-test his recent cupcakes afterwards, so she knew he didn’t mean anything bad by it.

Her vision was blurry. Did she hurt her head without realizing-

“Oh,” Cucumber breathed out, shifting on his knees. “Peridot…”

Peridot wiped her tears with the back of her hand, sniffling. “I’m fine,” she blurted out, rubbing at her damp cheeks.

Cucumber opened his arms, as if he were about to pull her into a hug, before pausing. He dropped them, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. After a few moments, he shifted to a sit by her side, gently resting a hand on her shoulder.

Peridot wiped the tears as they kept coming, sniffling and hiccupping at times. Her tears fell to The Disaster Stone still in her lap and Peridot wiped at it with her sleeve.

A cry slipped past her and Peridot hurriedly buried her face in her hands, her shoulders jerking upwards and falling with each hiccupy breath.

“Did-did you know,” she managed to stutter out, “that he was actually really, really stupid sometimes?”

She felt the hand on her shoulder pat gently. “Yeah?”

Peridot nodded, still wiping her tears as they fell – her sleeves now damp and splotchy. “He didn’t let me use all-purpose flour to bake cakes.”

The Young Witch slipped out a breathy laugh amongst the hiccupping and the sniffling. “That’s-that was so stupid,” she muttered. “Why is it called all-purpose flour if you-you can’t bake cakes with it?”

“…heh, that... _is_ pretty stupid.”

“I know!” She laughed beneath her breath, wiping her cheeks once more. She drew in one ragged inhale, then another – finally feeling herself relax.

The Young Witch drifted into a silence, staring at the Disaster Stone. With a finger, she gently traced along the crack.

She felt a soft squeeze on her shoulder and glanced over to The Hero – who was staring at her with a soft, gentle gaze.

“We’ll bring him back, Peridot,” he assured her.

Peridot paused, then nodded. Softly, she gave him a small smile. “I know.”

* * *

“Come on, it’s right this way!”

Peridot grunted, pushing aside a low-hanging branch. “You said that fifteen minutes ago!”

“It’s really this way this time, honest!” Cucumber glanced back to her, his orange hair sticking to his forehead. “Right past these bushes, I’m sure of it.”

Peridot sighed, trudging forward. Thankfully, the dirt wasn’t so damp anymore – so no more worrying about slipping and sliding all the way back to where they started.

Cucumber disappeared behind the foliage and, gritting her teeth, Peridot followed suit. She winced as the branches prickled at her and poked her through her clothes. Finally, with a hefty grunt, she emerged into a small clearing.

The Young Witch blinked, straightening at the sights. Cucumber knelt down at the centre, surrounded by the Roselings – small, plant-like creatures with roses for heads.

“Hey guys,” Cucumber hummed, holding his arms out.

“It’s Cucumber!”

“Hey Cucumber!”

“How did the Quest go?”

Cucumber chuckled at the bombarding questions, glancing around at the Roselings with…something almost like fondness in his gaze.

Peridot hesitated at the edge of the clearing, wringing her hands before her. She took in a deep, hopefully calming breath, then stepped closer.

The Roselings turned to face her, tilting their heads.

“Uh,” Peridot blinked. She waved slightly. “Hi.”

One of them pointed their leafy fingers at her. “Hey, it’s her! You made Miss Rosie cry!”

Instantly, shouts of protests and outrage came. ‘Miss Rosie!’ and ‘How dare you!’ and ‘It’s her!’

Peridot winced.

“Hey hey, it’s not her fault,” Cucumber interjected. “Miss Rosie was just…uh, dealing with a lot.”

The Roselings turned to him as he spoke, glancing around at themselves. “Yeah, Miss Rosie was dealing with a lot,” one of them murmured.

Another nodded solemnly, wringing their leafy hands. “I saw her crying when she thought we didn’t see, once.”

More cries of ‘Miss Rosie’ ensued, though less angry and more solemn. Some of them shook their heads, dismayed.

“Hey,” Cucumber said, shifting on his knees. “I need your help.”

“Help?”

“What help?”

“We’d like to help, but…”

One of them jumped up. “Wait! First, you should come see Miss Rosie! She’s over here!”

Peridot watched as they grabbed onto Cucumber’s arm, dragging him to his feet. More surged around him, pushing and pulling and directing him somewhere.

Cucumber glanced back, eyes wide. “Uh,” he said, “go with the flow?”

Inexplicably, she snorted, chuckling. One pat onto her pockets to make sure The Disaster Stones were still inside, then she followed suit.

* * *

The Young Witch stepped over a large root, walking forward to stand next to The Hero. Cucumber glanced at her through the corner of his eye, then nodded to what was in front of them.

“Rosemaster.”

The Roselings surrounded a tree stump which, on it, lay a small green stone with a single rose in its centre.

Peridot breathed out a sharp exhale, eyes widening. “There she is.”

Cucumber took a step forward, reaching for The Disaster Stone.

“What’re you doing?”

Peridot blinked. Oh, the Roselings.

Cucumber paused, his hand still outstretched. Around him, The Roselings tilted their heads up to look at him.

The Hero dropped his arm. “I uh…I need Rosemaster’s Disaster Stone back.”

For a moment, the small clearing was enveloped in silence.

Peridot took a step forward. “We need it,” she said, taking out the two Disaster Stones from her pocket, “because we’re gonna bring Rosemas- Miss Rosie back.”

“Bring-” One of them inhaled sharply, then said in a hushed tone, “Bring Miss Rosie back?”

Hushed murmurs rang from amongst The Roselings. They glanced around at each other, at them, whispered and murmured, before-

“Yeah!” One of them cried out, raising up a leafy fist. “Bring Miss Rosie back!”

Like a virus, it spread. Cries of ‘Miss Rosie!’ and ‘We’ll bring you back, Miss Rosie!’. One of the closer Roselings gently picked up the Disaster Stone and passed it over to Cucumber, who took it gratefully.

The Hero straightened, Disaster Stone in hand, and glanced over to her – his eyes mirroring her internal relief.

Peridot clutched The Disaster Stones in her hands, smiling. Cucumber made his way over to her, and together they stared at the three Disaster Stones currently in possession.

After some contemplation, Peridot offered Splashmaster’s stone to him. “Here.”

Cucumber blinked at the stone, then up at her face. His eyes were wide as he accepted the stone, as if he almost couldn’t believe it.

“You have a backpack,” she pointed out. “It’s…easier to keep them all in one place.”

The Hero made a face. “’Eaiser’?” he echoed, a soft teasing note to his tone.

Peridot scoffed and rolled her eyes, playfully punching him in the shoulder. “Oh hush.”

Cucumber chortled, making to grab at his shoulder. “Ow!”

Peridot grinned. “Yeah, and there’s more where that came from, Legendary Nerd.”

There was a tug on the hem of her clothes and Peridot blinked. She glanced down, eyes widening slightly at the Roseling pulling on her clothes.

Once they were sure they had her attention, they pointed to The Knight’s Disaster Stone. “What happened?”

Peridot frowned, glancing away. Slowly, she knelt down, lowering the Stone so that the Roseling would be able to see it.

They looked down at it, gently lifting it upwards with their leafy hands. Peridot watched as they turned it around, eyeing the crack.

The Roseling looked to Cucumber. “Put them together,” they said. “It’ll help.”

Cucumber and Peridot glanced at each other, mutually surprised. Slowly, Cucumber knelt as well, both stones in both hands. The Roseling stepped up and gently clinked all three stones together.

There was wave of…of something. Whatever it was, it pushed Peridot back slightly – who only just managed from toppling back, her eyes wide.

Her jaw dropped as she saw the crack mend before her eyes, just slightly.

Satisfied, The Roseling turned away from a slack-jawed Cucumber, offering the Disaster Stone back to her. Peridot cupped the stone in her hands, eyeing the now shallow-crack.

Without another word, she reached forward and drew The Roseling into a hug. “Thank you,” she breathed out, relief flooding her from head to toe.

The Roseling patted her shoulder, smiling softly.

* * *

**_~~Hhhhhhhrrrr.~~ _ ** ****

_There, there it is. It’s…hurting, less. He didn’t expect that to happen._

_That was painful. Actual, genuine pain. Not discomfort, not uneasiness. Sharp and ruthless, real pain._

_There are still edges of it around, in fact. He hated this – hated having to stay in this container, barely able to keep himself awake, helpless to being used._

_Although, seeing the look on Protector’s face was…worth it. Barely, but worth it._

_He wondered if Protector had designed The Disaster Stones to be used like that._

_He wondered if she deeply regretted it now._

_He wondered if he’ll ever be able to escape the cycle._

_Rosemaster…_

* * *

“Do you know where the other Disaster Stones are?”

Peridot eyed the way Cucumber shifted his feet, readjusting his backpack straps on his shoulder. He bit his lip uneasily, glancing over to her.

“Yes,” he said slowly. “But you’re not going to like where it is.”

Peridot winced, then sighed. “It’s definitely not around the corner, isn’t it?”

“Heh.” Cucumber looked away, bitter amusement on his face. “It’s never that easy.”

Peridot stared out onto the ocean, the pebbles clinking together beneath her feet.

She narrowed her eyes, glancing back over to The Hero. “Please tell me it’s not in the Doughnut Kingdom.”

Cucumber made a face, wordlessly returning her gaze. A response that spoke enough.

Peridot groaned. “Seriously? What, is in Caketown Castle for a good dose of irony, too?”

Cucumber gave no response.

“You’re _joking_.”

* * *

Peridot froze at the sound of footsteps.

Heavy, armoured footsteps, making their way around the bend. Quickly, she shot forward, grabbing onto Cucumber’s arm.

The Hero turned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion – eyes widening as he was pulled to hide, crouched behind a flower pot.

The footsteps continued forward and Peridot held her breath, waiting for the footsteps to walk past, and only allowing herself to sigh out once she was sure they did.

She turned her head to The Hero, an eyebrow raised.

Cucumber winced. ‘Sorry,’ he mouthed.

Peridot rolled her eyes, sighing. She glanced over the flower pot, eyeing the hallway with narrowed eyes.

Cucumber peeked out as well, glancing over to her with a silent question in his gaze. Peridot tilted her head, listening – and then nodding.

Slowly, with fearful glances to either ends of the hallway, Cucumber slunk out of the flowerpot’s cover. His steps light and almost soundless, Cucumber snuck to hide in the cover of a particularly dark corner – with a signal that it was safe for her to follow suit.

Peridot breathed in a sharp breath, made sure The Knight’s Disaster Stone was still with her, and hurried to join him – keeping herself hunched over and mostly in the shadows.

As soon as she’d managed to join him, there were more footsteps. Footsteps, and a dim, light-blue glow.

“They’ll have Rosemaster’s stone by now,” The Dream Oracle was saying. Her voice sounded greatly annoyed, and she sighed in that irritating way of hers. “I didn’t expect Zuchinni to use the Disaster Stones like that.”

 _“Cucumber_ ,” Almond corrected sharply. “And weren’t you the one who _made_ The Disaster Stones?”

“Your point?” The Oracle testily replied. She sighed again, making Peridot wanting to punch her in all three of her eyes. “Never mind, they’ll have to come here, to the castle. We’ll be ready for them.”

Their voices drifted off and Peridot turned to give Cucumber a raised eyebrow look. Wordlessly, she made quotations marks up in the air with her fingers, earning a light nudge from The Hero in response.

Peridot rolled her eyes, but stilled soon after – watching Cucumber take a step out of the shadows. He turned to glance over at her quickly, then took another step further into the hallway.

Just then, some kind of spotlight shone on him. Cucumber froze, his eyes wide with fear.

“There they are.”

Cucumber whipped around to face her. “Run!”

Peridot pressed herself flat against the wall, eyes wide. Cucumber shrugged off his backpack, throwing it to her.

She flinched, only just catching it.

Light-blue magic shot at The Hero, just about missing his head. Cucumber ducked down and whipped out his wand, quickly firing a spell of his own in retaliation.

“Peridot, run!”

She gripped the backpack with both hands and ran. Yells of ‘Get her!’ and ‘Don’t let her get away!’ echoed her footsteps.

As she ran, Peridot twisted the backpack around and shoved her arms into the straps. Thundering footsteps followed suit, making the very ground beneath her shake.

Peridot turned a sharp corner, skidding and sliding and only just managing to not crash into the wall. Although, something large and heavy – presumably the thing that was chasing her – did.

She glanced behind her, eyes widening at the sight of a large and…toothless bear?

“Grizzlygum! Don’t let her get away!”

She whipped her head back to facing forward, pushing all her energy into her legs. Peridot ran through hallway after hallway, only just keeping ahead of her pursuers.

Finally, she saw it. The Throne Room – where Cucumber had said The Oracle was keeping the other Disaster Stones. Peridot raced inside, not bothering to try and shut the large double doors.

Arranged neatly in an incomplete circle, The Disaster Stones waited on a circular table. Noisemaster, Mistmaster, Glitchmaster, Quakemaster, Mutemaster – they were all here!

She shrugged Cucumber’s backpack off her shoulders, rummaging through and – with a cry of relief – took out the two Disaster Stones.

She placed Rosemaster’s first, then Splashmaster’s, then she rummaged through her pocket for The Nightmare Knight’s stone.

Peridot breathed out a sharp exhale as she held the last Disaster Stone in her hand, moving to place it in the centre-

“Stop. Right. There.”

Through the corner of her eyes, Peridot saw the glow of The Dream Oracle. She didn’t have to face her to know – she felt the alarm, rippling through her from The Knight’s Disaster Stone.

Peridot gritted her teeth and slowly turned her head. Standing with a wand pressed to his forehead and his mouth covered with The Oracle’s weird fin hand, was Cucumber.

He was held tightly in place by The Oracle, who had all three of her eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Well,” The Oracle seethed. “I didn’t want to have to do this.”

“What, put your own ‘Legendary Hero’ as a hostage?” Peridot replied, her voice equally tight – dripping with venom. “How _noble_.”

“Spoken like The Nightmare Knight himself.” The Oracle harrumphed, shaking her head. “What, do you think he’d be proud of you? His perfect little minion, carrying out his bidding even in death?”

Peridot stared at her, her breathes coming out in sharp, heavy pants – not because she was terrified.

But because she was absolutely _livid_.

Footsteps rang through The Throne Room. Almond ran up to The Dream Oracle’s side, Dreamsword unsheathed – quickly glancing to the ‘hostage’.

Then tensing so hard Peridot could see her muscles freeze even from the distance.

Almond whipped around to face The Dream Oracle, sheer outrage coming out of her in waves. “What are you doing?”

“Be quiet,” The Oracle snapped. “I’m doing this for the Good of Dreamside. If your brother hadn’t chosen the _wrong_ side, he wouldn’t be here.”

Almond hefted the Dreamsword in her hand, looking like she had a piece of mind to run it through The Dream Oracle herself. Unfortunately, Peridot wasn’t the only one who noticed Almond’s anger.

“If I were you,” The Dream Oracle seethed, glaring down at her. She pressed her wand closer to The Hero’s forehead, inciting a small but noticeable whimper from him. “I’d pick the _right_ side.”

Almond froze, glancing between her brother and the supposed ‘Protector of Dreamside’. Then, she lowered her sword.

With a satisfied harrumph, The Dream Oracle turned her attention back to The Young Witch. She narrowed her eyes into a deep and hateful glare, her mouth open and on the very brink of saying something-

“Actually, you know what?” Peridot interjected whatever it was rubbish that The Dream Oracle wanted to say. “You’re wrong.”

The Dream Oracle snarled – a vicious, animalistic snarl.

Defiant, The Young Witch lifted her chin. “He _would_ be proud of me.”

In a flash, Peridot summoned a spell from her wand and sent it flying – aiming straight for the Dream Oracle’s head. Her spell went way off course, but that’s alright. She didn’t expect it to anyway.

It was just a distraction.

As The Dream Oracle instinctively flinched, Cucumber did something that The Young Witch would always respect him for.

He bit her.

“Ow!” The Dream Oracle jerked her hand away, staring at the bite mark with wide eyes of shock and growing outrage.

Cucumber had taken the advantage – he twisted himself out of The Oracle’s grasp and ran to Peridot, eyes wide with adrenaline.

Over his shoulder, Peridot could see The Dream Oracle – her mouth twisted into an ugly snarl – extend her wand in their direction.

Without another thought, Peridot dropped the Disaster Stone.

* * *

_“ Peridot, wake up.”_ __

_The Young Witch jolted awake, blinking quickly a few times. She looked around the room, twisting in her bean bag so that she could properly meet The Knight’s gaze._

_He stared down at her, head tilted and perpetually-narrowed eyes glinting with something that almost looked like concern._

_In front of them, **Punisher Pumice** rang through its final, latest episode’s credits. As the theme song’s instrumental ran its course, Peridot snorted and yawned._

_“Did it end already?” She sat up straight, excitement providing her a small burst of quick energy. “What’d you think of the plot twist? Did it blow you away? Did you think it was Melanite? Did you-“_

_“Peridot,” The Nightmare Knight interjected, one palm raised upwards. “If I tell you the plot twist took my figurative breath away, will you go to sleep?”_

_She groaned and rolled her eyes, leaning back onto her beanbag. “First of all, you’re the worst. Second, I’m not even sleepy! And third, no! That’s just something you’re saying because you want me to do something!”_

_Peridot crossed her arms, exaggeratedly narrowing her eyes at him – a teasing act, one that The Knight gets so-called ‘annoyed’ at because she had said she was trying to imitate his facial features._

_As it was, The Nightmare Knight scoffed and rolled his own eyes. “Enough with that. Go to sleep, Peridot. It’s late.”_

_“Cordelia said-“_

_“Even Cordelia would be worried if you stayed up the whole night.” He tilted his head. “Didn’t you two have plans together tomorrow?”_

_Alarmed, The Young Witch straightened. “Oh! Oh no I forgot!”_

_In a flash, she shot herself out of her beanbag and made a beeline for her bed – then turned, because if she didn’t brush her teeth, she’d probably get another nagging._

_Brushing her teeth didn’t take as long as she made it out to be, nor as long as she thought it actually did. In no time at all, Peridot had herself settled into the bed with the covers drawn._

_The Knight had came up to her bedside, watching her as she shifted into a comfortable position. Once he was sure she was, he reached up for the lamp beside her bed._

_He paused. “Peridot?”_

_Peridot blinked. “Yeah?”_

_He turned his head to face her. “The plot twist was surprising, but it made sense when I thought about it.”_

_She stared at him silently for a while, jaw parted slightly. Then, she beamed from ear to ear._

* * *

Peridot raised her arms to her face as bright light shone all around her. The last thing she saw was The Dream Oracle’s blast of magic heading straight for them – with full intentions to hit its target – before everything got too bright for her to bear.

She grunted as the light subsided, blinking away the spots in her eyes. Beside her, Cucumber rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, grimacing himself.

Once she could properly see, what stood before her took all the breath out of her lungs.

The Nightmare Knight stood in front of them with one arm raised protectively, another extended forward. A large, purple barrier surrounded them – a scorch mark on the ground to mark where The Dream Oracle’s blast had been forced to a stop.

 **“Protector,”** he said, his voice near shaking with rage. **“I expected better of you.”**

The Dream Oracle stared up at him, all three of her eyes widened to impossible lengths.

“No…” she murmured, softly at first. Then, louder. “No! No no! This wasn’t supposed to happen! You weren’t supposed to come for the next 5,000 years!”

The Nightmare Knight tilted his head. **“Change of plans,”** he said. **“Time for something new, no?”**

The Dream Oracle floated back slightly, glancing around. She glanced to Almond – who had been so taken aback by it all that she gaped and stood without a sound.

Narrowing her eyes, The Dream Oracle lifted a hand and surrounded Almond with a smaller, light-blue barrier of her own.

Almond snapped out of her trance, staring around at her new bubble of confinement with wide eyes. Then, they narrowed.

“Hey!” She turned to The Oracle with a fierce snarl, slamming a fist against the confinement. “Let me out! You can’t do this, that’s not what-“

The rest of her sentence was cut off as The Dream Oracle sent her away, the bubble disappearing with a puff of light-blue smoke.

“Almond!” Cucumber cried out, about to run forward if it weren’t for The Young Witch’s grabbing of his sweater.

“Don’t,” she hissed, trying to tug him back.

The Dream Oracle stared down at The Hero, small amounts of triumph sneaking into her eyes. Arrogant, she whipped her head around to meet The Nightmare Knight’s much taller gaze.

“This isn’t over,” she seethed.

 **“Far from it,”** The Knight replied.

The Dream Oracle glanced to them again, her facial fins twitching. Then, with a raise of her wand, she disappeared in a puff of her signature smoke.

It was only after the last of the smoke had fizzled out did The Nightmare Knight drop his hand – and the barrier, with it. He held a piece of his starry cape between two fingers, twisting it around himself.

Peridot watched as he reemerged, now shrunk into a much smaller size. Then, she gasped as The Knight doubled over.

Cucumber glanced back at her – his gaze mirroring her own concern. Quickly, they hurried over to the hunched over Nightmare Knight.

“Hey, are you-“

Cucumber was cut off by his own gasp as The Knight turned around – sporting a large new scar that stretched across his torso. The Knight had his eyes nearly closed, an arm placed along the scar.

 **“I’ll live,”** he grunted.

Peridot had stopped a few paces behind Cucumber, hands raised to her mouth. She…almost couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

The Nightmare Knight sighed out, dropping his arm. Then, he met her gaze.

Slowly, he tilted his head. **“Peridot.”**

That was all it took. Choking back a sob, The Young Witch raced towards him and tackled him with a hug. Her shoulders shook with her cries – filled to the brim with joy and relief.

It took a while, but then she felt him return the hug. Slowly, at first. Then, in earnest.

 **“Peridot,”** The Knight said again. **“Peridot, you…you did it.”**

The Young Witch smiled and nodded into the hug, still too busy sniffling and hiccupping to properly form a response. She felt a gentle hand pat the top of her head.

**“I- I’m…I’m very-“**

She broke off slightly to meet his gaze, smiling with her tears. “I know,” was all she murmured – a breathy laugh slipping out with the fresh wave of tears.

The Nightmare Knight patted her head again, then drew her back into the hug. Peridot laughed again, all the happier.

A thought came at her and she shifted her head, staring at The Hero – who awkwardly wrung his hands out in front of him. He stared at her, eyes widening as she extended an arm in his direction – an invitation.

Then, slowly, hesitantly, The Hero stepped up to the hug. The Nightmare Knight turned his head as he approached and Cucumber paused, staring back up to him.

When The Knight opened up an arm as well, Cucumber sported a large beam of a smile – and wasted no time in joining.

* * *

Peridot swung her legs as she sat on the barstools, head propped up by her hands. By her side, on the other barstool, Cucumber was cautiously scrutinizing a cookie.

She snorted. “Come on, Legendary Nerd. It won’t kill you.”

He parted his mouth as if he wanted to refuse, then glanced to The Nightmare Knight and instead settled for a nod. Slowly, he raised the cookie to his mouth and took a small, experimental bite.

Then another, larger one. And again.

She snickered. “Told ya.”

Cucumber rolled his eyes. He probably would’ve retaliated if it weren’t for the cookie he was busy shoving into his mouth.

Peridot grinned as she took a cookie for her own. In mere seconds, she finished and was looking for another-

Then the plate was taken away and was, instead, replaced with two bowls of something warm.

The two blinked at the soup, then at The Knight – plate of stolen cookies in hand.

She groaned. “Awww, come on! Don’t we deserve to stuff our face with cookies?”

The Knight sighed. **“There are a lot of things you deserve. You may, only if you finish the soup.”**

Cucumber looked into the bowl, slowly stirring it with a spoon. He’s been mostly keeping silent, ever since The Oracle disappeared – he probably feels out of place.

In a room with Dreamside’s Greatest Enemy and his so-called sidekick, it was hardly surprising.

Peridot leaned closer to him, slightly. “Y’know,” she said in a hushed whisper. “Even though his cookies are great, he’s _terrible_ at cooking other stuff.”

**“Perhaps I shall pass these cookies onto the starving creatures in the forest instead.”**

“No wait! Wait I was joking!”

At their banter, Cucumber released a soft chuckle – some of the tension expelling out of his shoulders. Peridot eyed him out of the corner of her eye, slightly satisfied.

From his place, standing across from them, The Nightmare Knight glanced between the two – then he glanced over to Peridot with that gleam in his gaze.

Peridot beamed, cheerfully swinging her legs and taking a spoonful out of the soup.

And almost instantly gagged.

“Hhhhhh- _hoit- Hoit!”_

Peridot was too busy fanning her mouth to care much about the amused snickering, gratefully chugging down a glass of cold water once offered.

Finally, with a gasp, her mouth stopped burning. She groaned, resting her forehead on the surface.

“I’m too tired for soup.”

**“Nonsense. You were not too tired for cookies.”**

She glanced up, exaggeratedly narrowing her eyes. “That’s different.”

The Nightmare Knight sighed. **“Fine. But you’re not to have cookies until you’ve finished the bowl.”**

“You’re a tyrant, y’know.”

To that, The Knight simply chuckled. He replaced the plate of cookies on the surface, much to Peridot’s wide-eyed surprise.

Then pushed it to Cucumber, who pushed his now empty bowl of soup forward in return. Cucumber happily took a bite out of a cookie, glancing over to the fierce glare Peridot had for him.

“Traitor,” she muttered, retaking her spoon.

She flinched as a loud crash rang around them. Pieces of what used to be a bowl lay scattered on the counter and on the floor. Standing with his hands in front of him, frozen, The Nightmare Knight breathed in a sharp inhale.

**“The Disaster Masters…”**

She frowned, passing a quick glance with Cucumber – who looked equally, if not more, confused.

“Uh,” she said. “What about them?”

The Knight gave no response at first. He placed a hand along the edge of the counter, leaning on it heavily. She thought she could hear soft murmurs of **_‘no’_** as she watched The Knight shake his head.

Abruptly, he looked up. Peridot blinked at his wide-eyed expression.

**“I need to tell you two something.”**

**Author's Note:**

> Whoever said that the key to lots of writing was no distraction and an empty word doc, might I add one more thing-
> 
> A bombass song with a bombass beat.
> 
> (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVla5FgJQso)
> 
> Unfortunately, I am still out of town. I'm only here for to pass on these works, then will continue on being dead. I'll see you then!


End file.
